Method and apparatus for control of robotic grip or for activating contrast-based navigation

A position detection and control system for determining a position of a first object relative to a second object comprising:

• a sensor attached to said second object that is responsive to a pattern of light contrast on said first object that is indicative of structural features of said first object, said sensor having a sensor array and imaging optics with a known focal length, wherein said sensor obtains frames of image data from said first object that corresponds to said pattern of light contrasts, each of said frames having a focus that is dependent upon a distance between said first and said second objects;
• means for generating reference image data having a pattern of light contrast;
• and
• means for correlating using mathematical measures of correlation between said patterns of light contrast of said frames of image data and said reference image data to calculate relative proximity information between said first object and said second object.

A method for determining a position of a first object relative to a second object comprising the steps of:

• fixing a sensor device to said second object, said sensor device having a sensor array and having imaging optics with a known focal length;
• illuminating said first object to create a contrast pattern indicative of structural features of said first object;
• capturing a sequence of frames of image data from said first object utilizing said sensor device such that each frame has light power transitions that are responsive to said contrast pattern and that are indicative of a position of said first object relative to said sensor device;
• comparing discrete frames from said sequence to determine relative lateral movement information between said first object and said second object;
• acquiring reference image data having light power transitions that are indicative of a reference position of said first object relative to said second object;
• and
• correlating using mathematical measures of correlation between light power transitions from at least one of said frames of image data to light power transitions from said reference image data to determine relative proximity information between said first object and said second object.